Scholastic aims at first class

The new Scholastic initiative offers new teachers support in their new jobs

Staples' Teachers Reward Program offers teachers 2% back in rewards, up to $15 per quarter, when they spend $200 or more at Staples within a calendar quarter on anything except computers, gift cards and postage stamps.

“We know teachers constantly stock supplies throughout the year, but they particularly up their spend just before the start of term,” said Amy Shanler, Staples' director of public relations. “Many times teachers are spending their own money on supplies, so the more we can help them save, the better.”

Staples' Teachers Reward Program is managed in-house, and e-mail blasts are regularly sent to members about deals and special shopping days.

This year, teachers who shop on Teacher Appreciation Shopping Days — select Satur­days through September 15 — receive a free flash drive. Every $1 they spend counts as $2 toward earning rewards. Another set of shopping days is scheduled from December 15 of this year until January 15, 2009.

OfficeMax, the office supply retailer, also considers teachers an important target audience — however, that is not limited to the prime back-to-school season.

“Back-to-school is not a one-time conversa­tion we have with teachers,” said Bill Bon­ner, media spokesperson at OfficeMax.

The company's MaxPerks for Teachers is an ongoing loyalty program targeting teachers, in which members earn $10 in rewards for $75 of qualifying purchases. Teachers can also share their MaxPerks number with their classroom. Students and parents who shop can use their teacher's card, giving the teacher extra points.

“Teachers are important to us in several ways, because we carry a lot of the supplies that are used in the classroom, year-round,” said Bonner. “They're also an important part of the communities we work in.”

OfficeMax has an ongoing partnership with the nonprofit Adopt-A-Classroom, which raises money to help teachers purchase resources for their classrooms. Last year, it ran a successful cause-market­ing campaign called, “A Day Made Bet­ter,” which they will run for a second time on October 1.

Nearly 1,300 teachers will be surprised with in-class ceremonies on “A Day Made Better,” where they receive a new class­room chair as well as a box filled with nearly $1,000 worth of classroom supplies, including a digital camera.